Aviation Students Earn First Place Honors at Competition

Form immediate release

November 22, 2016

WATERTOWN, SD – Two students from Lake Area Technical College’s Aviation Maintenance Technology (AVM) program earned first place awards at the recent 2016 Midwest Aviation Invitational held in Ottumwa, Iowa, hosted by Indian Hills Community College at its campus adjacent to the Ottumwa Regional Airport.

Kyle Riegel, a second-year student from Fairmont, MN, won first place in the Electrical Troubleshooting competition, and Broderick Everson, a second-year student from Pipestone, MN, earned first place in the Control Cable Rigging competition. Steve Pofahl, a second-year student from Brookings, SD, and Mark Moore, a second-year student from Sisseton, SD, offered strong competition in the Sheet Metal and Magneto Timing competitions, respectively, on the Lake Area Technical College team.

Lake Area Technical College Aviation Maintenance Technology Department Supervisor Greg Klein said the intense competition offers a tremendous opportunity for students to demonstrate their aviation maintenance skills and knowledge. “Throughout their time at Lake Area Technical College, our students work diligently to become the best aviation mechanics possible,” he said. “Kyle, Broderick, Steve, and Mark are great representatives of all of our AVM students and I commend them on a job well done.  I’m very proud of them all.”

Competition events at the annual event included Aircraft Weight and Balance, Safety Wiring, Electrical Troubleshooting, Magneto Timing, Fluid Lines and Fittings, Flight Control Rigging, Sheet Metal Repair, and Turbine Engine Component Exchange.